Verse of the Day 6/25

Verse of the Day 6/25

Romans 8:26-27

New King James Version

26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

I read today's passage in a devotional this morning and what first caught my attention were two words that appear in verse 25, hope and perseverence.  I have mentioned before how Jean had said in her Chrstmas letter that 2025 would be the year of perseverence which it certainly has been and will continue to be. She also signed her letters and cards with "Always with hope".  Her focus was on the future, not only here but towards heaven and her Savior.

The verses above deal with what I am experiencing in my loss, in my grief.  I have the same hope and call to persevere, I can't do it on my own but I have the Holy Spirit and many of you interceding for me taking my groanings and lifting them to the Father.  The prayers continue to give, to bring me hope.

Pastor James Smith writes of hope:

Hope quickens us in duties, and preserves us from becoming cold and dead.

It comforts us in tribulations, and keeps us from being disheartened and gloomy.

It enables us to overcome temptation, and so to hold on our way, looking unto Jesus.

It gives us peace in death, in the sure prospect of victory over the grave.

Thus hope saves us:

by preventing despair, into which we can never fall while hope lives within us;

by preserving us from desperation, to the verge of which we are sometimes brought;

by guarding us against rebellion, the seeds of which are still thickly sown in our corrupt hearts; and

by protecting us against apostasy, into which we can never fall so long as we hope in God.

From many evils, at many times, in many ways, we are saved by hope!

Hope is in God, as its highest object and best end.

Hope is through Christ, who is the way to the Father, the truth, and the life.

Hope is on the ground of the Word, which warrants, excites, and regulates it.

Hope is for all that God has promised, whether temporal or spiritual, in this world or the next.

Hope should be encouraged, as it brings . . .

glory to God,

comfort to our souls,

credit to our religion, and

honor to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Holy Spirit, fill us with a lively hope, and teach us to expect:

all that God has promised,

all that Christ has procured, and

all that You have revealed in Your most holy Word. 

I need this hope, a lively hope to be able to persevere in faith, I have this hope because my Redeemer is faithful and true.

As I look back on the road I've traveled
I see so many times He carried me through
If there's one thing that I've learned in my life
My Redeemer is faithful and true

[Chorus]
My Redeemer is faithful and true
Everything He has said, He will do
And every morning, His mercies are new
My Redeemer is faithful and true

[Verse 2]
My heart rejoices when I read the promise
'There is a place that I'm preparing for you
I know someday I'll see my Lord face to face
'Cause my Redeemer is faithful and true.  (My Redeemer is Faithful and True - Steven Curtis Chapman)

Blessings,

Mike

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

Romans 8:18-28

New King James Version

From Suffering to Glory

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of [a]corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession [b]for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Verse of the Day 6/20

Verse of the Day 6/20

Acts 4:12-13

English Standard Version

12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

Today's verses came up yesterday in my read through the New Testament plan that I follow.  It is a very clear statement about faith and salvation.  It is not just the name itself, but it is knowing, believing and trusting through all of life.

David Jeremiah writes, "No other name has the power of Jesus. No other name can raise the dead, strengthen the living, save the lost, defeat the demons, delight the angels, and bear us through perilous times. Only Christ could offer Himself as a righteous sacrifice for sin and shed His blood as an everlasting atonement. If we reject Christ, we are rejecting the only possible means by which we can receive forgiveness and salvation.There is no other name."

There is truly no other name, no other person that we can turn to that can provide what we need.

All I once held dear, built my life upon
All this world reveres, and wars to own
All I once thought gain I have counted loss
Spent and worthless now, compared to this

Knowing You, Jesus
Knowing You, there is no greater thing
You're my all, You're the best
You're my joy, my righteousness
And I love You, Lord

Now my heart's desire is to know You more
To be found in You and known as Yours
To possess by faith what I could not earn
All-surpassing gift of righteousness


Oh, to know the power of Your risen life
And to know You in Your sufferings
To become like You in Your death, my Lord
So with You to live and never die

He must become greater, I must become less.  John 3:30

 

Blessings,

Mike

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

Acts 4:5-13

English Standard Version

5 On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6 with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, "By what power or by what name did you do this?" 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus[a] is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.[b] 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men[c] by which we must be saved."

13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

Verse of the Day 6/19

Verse of the Day 6/19

Psalm 42:1-3

The Message

42 1-2 A white-tailed deer drinks

    from the creek;
I want to drink God,
    deep drafts of God.
I'm thirsty for God-alive.
I wonder, "Will I ever make it—
    arrive and drink in God's presence?"
I'm on a diet of tears—
    tears for breakfast, tears for supper.

Psalm 42 for me is a good Psalm to look to while in mourning. I realize that there is no one else who can lift me up and sustain me, refresh, restore and renew me.  The picture is of a deer who drinks from the cool waters of a stream in the morning and/or at the end of the day.  A deer needs that water daily, he can't go for days on end without water,especially in the heat of summer.

I've shed many tears over the last couple of weeks and God's word has been what satisfies my aching and my longings. I'm searching daily for "God-alive" as Eugene Peterson puts it in his paraphrase.

I'll return to the hymn "Great is Thy Faithfulness" once again. Today I'm focusing on "Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide".  I need that today and every day just as the deer pants, longs for water.

1

"Great is Thy faithfulness," O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

 

"Great is Thy faithfulness!" "Great is Thy faithfulness!"
  Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
    "Great is Thy faithfulness," Lord, unto me!

2

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

3

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Blessings,

Mike

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

Verse of the Day 6/18

Verse of the Day 6/18

Lamentations 3:24-25

New International Version

24 I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion;

    therefore I will wait for him."

25 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
    to the one who seeks him;

Today's verses came up in my daily reading of the Old Testament.  Most often when reading Lamantations 3 I focus on the preceeding verses:

Lamentations 3:22-23

New International Version

22 Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,

    for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.

The verses above are the basis of the great Hynm "Great is Thy Faithfulnees" which was the first hymn that wws sung (her choice) at my wife's memorial service. His mercies are new every morning. But what I'm focusing on today is the lament and the grief of losing your spouse, with a gaping hole in my life. Today's verses encourage me not to give up hope but to wait for, wait on Him during this time, with hope.

My wife Jean signed most of her cards, letters and emails with "always with hope".  That that is what I'm doing and this passage and the hymn help me do this.  What I need is "strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow", while realizing the 10,000 blessings that I've received from Him in Jean and the 10,000 future blessings that are in store.

1

"Great is Thy faithfulness," O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

 

"Great is Thy faithfulness!" "Great is Thy faithfulness!"
  Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
    "Great is Thy faithfulness," Lord, unto me!

2

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

3

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

May His "dear presence" be with you today to chear and to guide through whatever you may be facing.

Blessings,

Mike

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

Lamentations 3:19-26

New International Version

19 I remember my affliction and my wandering,

    the bitterness and the gall.
20 I well remember them,
    and my soul is downcast within me.
21 Yet this I call to mind
    and therefore I have hope:

22 Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion;
    therefore I will wait for him."

25 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
    to the one who seeks him;
26 it is good to wait quietly
    for the salvation of the Lord.

Verse of the Day 6/12

Verse of the Day 6/12

Hebrews 12:1-2

New International Version

12:1b And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

I mentioned recently how my wife Jean had said that 2025 would be the year of perseverance.  It actually began about a year ago this time as we were planning a trip out to Denver for a procdure in her cancer treatment. We ended up taking two trips out there with mixed results.  But July 3rd definitely began that year.  She ran that race not as a sprint but as an arduous hard fought marathan that required everything in her to fight.

Perseverence requires several things, beginning with resolve, a strong determination.  I was reminded of a favorite Philips, Craig and Dean song from many years ago that spoke of this:

It takes a strong determination
A trust that never dies
The courage to forgive
And a heart that reconciles
A life full of devotion
A faith that won't give up
It takes a strong determination
To build a house of love

Jean continued to build that "house" that life of love in the power of Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit in her life.

Over the next few days family and friends will be celebrating her life, that perseverance and strong determination, devotion and faith that didn't give up.  She lived her life to the end holding up John 3:30 on her right arm.

John 3:30

New International Version

30 He must become greater; I must become less."

I love you Jean!

Blessings,

Mike

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

Hebrews 12:1-3

New International Version

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Verse of the Day 6/9

Verse of the Day 6/9

Matthew 7:7-8

New Living Translation

7 "Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

I mentioned in yesterday's post how my quiet times have been a constant in my life even in these last months of Jean's battle with cancer. Today's verses were a reminder of why. I chose the New Living Translation because it follows the "perfect" ongoing tense of the original words.  For me, it is as if Jesus was standing at the back door and knocking  (Rev. 3:20) and asking me if I'll come join Him and then spend that time with Him asking, seeking and knocking for the answers and direction I need in my life.

Eric Alexander writes, " I think the three commands "ask," "seek," and "knock" are a progressive intensification. Repeatedly asking requires perseverance, and still more so does continuous seeking. Persistent knocking suggests an intense desire for entry. "  The persistent asking, seeking and knocking are an indication of the perseverence that is required in the Christian walk, day by day, in good times and bad.

Max Lucado writes, "Jesus waits on the porch. He stands on the threshold. He taps.... and calls. He waits for you to open the door.  To pray is to open it. Prayer is the hand of faith on the door handle of your heart. The willing pull.  The happy welcome to Jesus: "Come in, O King, come in.".....We speak, He listens. He speaks, we listen. This is prayer in it's purest form. God changes His people through such moments."

1

He leadeth me! O blessed thought,
O words with heav'nly comfort fraught;
Whate'er I do, where'er I be,
Still 'tis Christ's hand that leadeth me.

 

He leadeth me! He leadeth me!
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful follower I would be,
  For by His hand He leadeth me.

2

Sometimes 'mid scenes of deepest gloom,
Sometimes where Eden's bowers bloom,
By waters still, o'er troubled sea,
Still 'tis His hand that leadeth me.

4

And when my task on earth is done,
When, by Thy grace, the vict'ry's won,
E'en death's cold wave I will not flee,
Since Thou in triumph leadest me.

Blessings,

Mike

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

Matthew 7:7-11

New Living Translation

Effective Prayer

7 "Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

9 "You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.